About Partnership Together
JUF’s Partnership Together (P2G) has been connecting Chicago-Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir for the past sixteen years. P2G is a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, that links communities in the Diaspora with communities in Israel, predominantly in the Negev and in the Galilee. Chicago's P2G Region of Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir is located in Israel’s northern Negev. Through P2G, more than $1.15 million of funding from JUF’s annual campaign supports projects that promote the region’s development, improve the quality of life for its residents and connects them with Chicago Jewry through “people-to-people” programs.
Location
Chicago’s P2G Region of Kiryat Gat, Lachish and Shafir is located in the northern Negev and is 45 minutes by car from Tel Aviv and approximately one hour from Jerusalem.
Our Chairs
JUF's Partnership Together is co-chaired by Paula Resnick (Chicago) and Dan Harkabi (Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir). Paula Resnick has been involved in JUF for many years. She has served 2 terms, of 6 years each, on the Women’s Board. While serving on JUF's Women's Board, Paula has had leadership positions in campaign, chairing several events. Paula attended Brandeis University and has been the President of the International Alumni Association and a Trustee of the University. Dan Harkabi served 20 years in the Israeli Air Force as a major before co-founding an Israeli-based startup that developed technology for USB drives and Flash cards. Currently he is the CEO of Picosmos, an Israeli-based computer technology startup which also focuses on Flash drive technology.
Allocations
The money that Partnership Together allocates annually to the Region supports programs for Israel's most vulnerable, it supports programs which build connections between the four communities, and since 2009 is focusing on a project area called Human and the Environment.
JUF provides additional resources for programs in our Partnership 2000 Region sponsored by the Ethiopian National Project and Youth Futures which provides opportunities and support for children at risk.
JUF’s Partnership Together has a lot going on!!
JUF's Partnership Together connects the Jewish community of Chicago with the people in the Region of Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir in Israel. One of the many ways we are able to do this is by partnering supplementary school classrooms. Depending on the age of the students the connection can range from Jewish holiday greetings primarily in English to Hebrew sentences and English replies from Israel for older children and teens. This is a great way for Jewish students in Chicago to connect with Israeli peers. For more information click here to send a message. The JCC Camp Chi trip to Israel included time in Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir and 16 teens from the Region travelled with the group. Click here for an article written in a local paper by a participant. For the past few years JUF's Partnership Together has had an ongoing theme of "Man and the Environment." Here is an article on this theme in JUF News written by the Director of the Israel office Linda Epstein: JUF Article. Kefiada, JUF's English-speaking summer camp in Israel, and Otzma had successful 2011sessions. Read about one Kefiada counselor's experience here: Roxie's Kefiada experience. Birthright trips from Chicago, arranged by Shorashim, spend time in Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir. Click here to read about a visit. |
